Brief: Celebrate the ‘green street’

A cyclist rides along the new green bike lane on Ocean Park Boulevard. (File photo)

With wider sidewalks, over 100 new trees and more visible bike lanes, city officials are calling Ocean Park Boulevard from Neilson Way to Lincoln Boulevard a “complete green street” and want you to come out and celebrate its unveiling this Saturday.

Starting at 2 p.m. in front of the Santa Monica Alternative School House and John Muir Elementary School between Fifth and Sixth streets, city officials will mark the completion of more than a year of work. There will be live jazz, bicycle demonstrations and even ice cream made by peddle power.

“Ride your bike to the celebration, bike valet will be available and there will be a bike ride down the green lanes,” city officials said in a press release.

Partly funded by Measure V, the Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax, the Ocean Park Boulevard “Complete Green Street” Project seeks to make travel along the busy stretch safer for pedestrians and cyclists while also improving water quality by capturing significant volumes of urban run-off before it reaches Santa Monica Bay, city officials said.

Key elements of the project include:

• Wider sidewalks.

• Parkway/storm water biofilter swales and infiltration areas, and a drip irrigation system.

• Over 100 new trees, new landscaping, and medians.

• New marked crosswalks with enhanced overhead flashing beacons.

• More visible, painted bike lanes and traffic striping, and new bike racks.

The event, which is co-sponsored by the Ocean Park Association (OPA), will feature Mayor Pro Tem Terry O’Day and Santa Monica Spoke representative Cynthia Rose as speakers. A representative of OPA will also speak.